Random Thoughts Thread

[Robert Hall]

Speaking of Dads and cars, I need to digitize a bunch of photos of the cars my Dad had over the years...his first car was a '32 Ford 5 window coupe, had a '40 Packard coupe when he married my Mom in '48, first new car was a 49 Ford Fordor, last new car was a '96 Lincoln Town Car with lots of Fords, Mercurys, and Lincolns (and one Dodge truck, '56 Chevy, and a '66 HIno Contessa) in-between....

[A Horse With No Name]

Would love to see the pics...

Best comeback from a manufacturer ever...

 

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Condolences to you, Horse. 79 (and 78: Moltar) is too young, but it happens.
- - - - -

'54 Dodge Firebomb

Gorgeous!

 

[balthazar]

^ It's actually rather strange, but this quasi-bird-s eye view I do really like.

It does present a nicely realized envelope- the Euro period 2-seat roadster always F up from the waist down.

Edited February 6, 2018 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

That is cool...was that one the Ghia-bodied show cars of that era?  I've seen a couple Ghia bodied Mopars at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale over the years.. 

Saw this Chrysler at BJ '15..don't recall the deets though...

 

 

Edited February 6, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[David]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

My father took a turn for the worse Sunday and passed away.  He was 79.  Thursday his blood work came back good and the doctor said he might live another 5 years.

Condolences my friend, wishing you and your family all the best for celebrating his life. 

[Robert Hall]

3 hours ago, ccap41 said:

I think what you meant to say is BULLSH!T and it's been like quite a few seasons at this point. Dez's "catch" I'm pretty sure was like 2012 and Calvin Jonhson's even older in 2010.

Yes, this was called an incomplete pass. It was a game winner with time expiring on that play too. Or maybe the clock was just under a minute.. Either way it should have won them the game. 

 

This whole argument about are they a receiver or a runner at a point in time and did they maintain control of the ball is just taken to extremes w/ the current catch rule... 

[balthazar]

Not sure off hand if the Firebomb was Ghia or not, I would lean toward 'no'. The thing to remember is the stylist, rather than the coachbuilder. Most of the Chrysler concepts were Chrysler-penned, but many people casually assume the coachbuilder designed it also. Often not the case.

There were a bunch of 'specials' built by Chrysler in the early 50s; CB Thomas Special, GS-1s, Ghia coupes, D'Elegance, etc... I read that about 18 cars were built in the program. That one above appears to be the '55 ST Special:
http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1955_chrysler_st_special/images/40043/

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Not sure off hand if the Firebomb was Ghia or not, I would lean toward 'no'. The thing to remember is the stylist, rather than the coachbuilder. Most of the Chrysler concepts were Chrysler-penned, but many people casually assume the coachbuilder designed it also. Often not the case.

There were a bunch of 'specials' built by Chrysler in the early 50s; CB Thomas Special, GS-1s, Ghia coupes, D'Elegance, etc... I read that about 18 cars were built in the program. That one above appears to be the '55 ST Special:
http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1955_chrysler_st_special/images/40043/

Yes, that was it..didn't meet reserve in '15.

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1955-CHRYSLER-ST-SPECIAL-GHIA-180484

The car I saw in '13 was the Diablo and the one in  '17 was the Streamline X Gilda...

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1956-CHRYSLER-DIABLO-CONCEPT-CONVERTIBLE-137871

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1955-CHRYSLER-GHIA-STREAMLINE-X-GILDA-204876

One thing I do miss about living in Arizona is going to Barrett-Jackson every January...such a fascinating variety of cars to be seen..huge event.  Only missed one year between '07 and '17. 

[balthazar]

The sibling of the Diablo, the Dual Ghia 400, has been in NJ since 1977, owned by the Kanter Brothers (auto resto parts biz). I like the Chrysler Special cars a lot, but these 'darty' cars don't do anything for me. The front ends are especially weak, IMO.
 

[Robert Hall]

Just now, balthazar said:

The sibling of the Diablo, the Dual Ghia 400, has been in NJ since 1977, owned by the Kanter Brothers (auto resto parts biz). I like the Chrysler Special cars a lot, but these 'darty' cars don't do anything for me. The front ends are especially weak, IMO.
 

The side trim, rear quarters and fins remind me a lot of the '57 DeSoto Adventurer...

 

 

[balthazar]

The '57 'A' is one of my top 5 favs.
The 2 do suggest each other, but note where the 'A' brings details & continuity the 400 lacks. Such as- look at the angled line off the rear of the fenderwells, the headlights cut-out, the C-Pillar, the lower drop of the side spear and the (flipped) angle of the fin. Nice harmony. Now look at those same area on the 400- all over the place.

[ocnblu]

[balthazar]

[trinacriabob]

18 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

My father took a turn for the worse Sunday and passed away.  He was 79.  Thursday his blood work came back good and the doctor said he might live another 5 years.

 

Sorry to hear that news.  I was not aware he was ill.  It's weird how these situations can change.  My mom did fine through her birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  She had blood work in mid-December that was normal (her creatinine was normal).  She felt terrible in mid-January and the doctor said to take her to E.R. because something was up that she couldn't diagnose there.  Her E.R. blood work was NOT normal.  Her creatinine had gone up 9-fold.  It was a trek from E.R. to ICU to med floor to hospice ... all in 3 weeks.  You would have never known from her birthday party photos 3 months prior.  It appeared she was going the Betty White route.  And you know there has to be one jerk, a fat lifer lady from her parish, who had to opine that her not going onto dialysis was not the "right" thing to do.  What ... for an extra month or two of misery?

[David]

2 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Sorry to hear that news.  I was not aware he was ill.  It's weird how these situations can change.  My mom did fine through her birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  She had blood work in mid-December that was normal (her creatinine was normal).  She felt terrible in mid-January and the doctor said to take her to E.R. because something was up that she couldn't diagnose there.  Her E.R. blood work was NOT normal.  Her creatinine had gone up 9-fold.  It was a trek from E.R. to ICU to med floor to hospice ... all in 3 weeks.  You would have never known from her birthday party photos 3 months prior.  It appeared she was going the Betty White route.  And you know there has to be one jerk, a fat lifer lady from her parish, who had to opine that her not going onto dialysis was not the "right" thing to do.  What ... for an extra month or two of misery?

Totally agree, some people think being alive for an extra month but in a drug induced state with pain or whatever might be is living and yet they forget about quality of life. I want to go fast even if my lifetime on this planet is shorter. No need to lay about and drag on putting a burden on my kids and family.

[A Horse With No Name]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Ohh absolutely...

17 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

That is cool...was that one the Ghia-bodied show cars of that era?  I've seen a couple Ghia bodied Mopars at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale over the years.. 

Saw this Chrysler at BJ '15..don't recall the deets though...

 

 

The two Chrysler shows cars on the floor of the Atlantic inside of the Andria Doria are not in such good shape though...Gorgeous car...

[David]

 

[balthazar]

11 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

The two Chrysler shows cars on the floor of the Atlantic inside of the Andria Doria are not in such good shape though...Gorgeous car...

I believe the only Chrysler that went down was the '56 Norseman. I was just reading some interweb chatter about it & went off trying to find a dive pic, but the Andrea Doria is a notoriously difficult dive and I never found any interior pics. Did find this account:

In the mid-1990s, David Bright, a leading underwater researcher and explorer, wrote on his website about finding the remains of the car. "While looking for a lost diver, I had an opportunity to see the Norseman for myself in the cargo hold," he wrote. "Normally, all passenger cars were placed in the garage section of the Andrea Doria that is slightly aft of the collision point where the Stockholm impaled the Doria underneath the bow wing bridge. These cars would have been placed onto the Doria by use of a crane and meticulously parked in the garage and arranged strategically for stability. However, the Norseman was no passenger vehicle and was specially packed and treated with extra care. The Norseman was put into a wooden crate and placed in the number 2 cargo area.

"The crate had disintegrated and the car was in very, very poor condition. The ocean's salt water invaded the Norseman's metal and most of the car is rust, corrosion and a heap of indistinguishable junk. The tires are still there and have assisted to [sic] its identification.

[ocnblu]

Yay!  2019 Transit Connect will be available with a diesel engine, which is a new engine for Ford, also available in the EcoSport outside of the U.S.  I wonder if we'll get the EcoSport diesel here too. 

[ccap41]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yay!  2019 Transit Connect will be available with a diesel engine, which is a new engine for Ford, also available in the EcoSport outside of the U.S.  I wonder if we'll get the EcoSport diesel here too. 

What are the specs on it? 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

In response to Balthazar, the most frightening thing I have seen on YouTube.

[A Horse With No Name]

The gentleman Balthazar referred to died after one of his dives on the Doria...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/11/us/11bright.html?_r=0

[David]

Very cool, a Set of Twins found in a storage unit are up for sale on Ebay!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/253409962140?rmvSB=true&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Buick Grand National Twins sequential VINs with original paperwork. Bought and immediately stored.

Full story here

[ccap41]

Why would somebody do that?  What's the point of doing that? If you're going to do that in an attempt to make something off of them, you should at least keep them clean.. 

[balthazar]

Dirt wipes off. Besides, the whole 'barn find' mystic often loosens people's checkbooks just a bit more.

[balthazar]

Godspeed AME, my friend.
Your work here is done, but your impact will never fade.
- - - - -
 

[daves87rs]

8 hours ago, dfelt said:

Very cool, a Set of Twins found in a storage unit are up for sale on Ebay!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/253409962140?rmvSB=true&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Buick Grand National Twins sequential VINs with original paperwork. Bought and immediately stored.

Full story here

I'll take one.....won't have low miles for long though....

[ccap41]

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

Dirt wipes off. Besides, the whole 'barn find' mystic often loosens people's checkbooks just a bit more.

I know what you mean but... these were stored in a storage center and not a barn out in a field in the middle of nowhere. 

[ccap41]

I'm really craving buying a sound system for my car, more specifically, some subwoofers. 

Anybody have knowledge or experience with a recent setup? I has a system in my first car but that's been gone for about 10 years. 

What I think I want but I'm afraid it won't be quite enough for how much it all costs is this: 

JL Audio dual 8" W3v3's

It's compact and I test fit one last week at an audio shop and it fits perfectly behind my back seats in the hatch area but it's only 6 inches deep as to keep most of my space available still. 

It sounded good in their test room but I'm afraid that or the like $1100 or so I'll be disappointed. They're 8's so they naturally just can't get the duper deep lows. 

[David]

@ccap41 & @balthazar The after pictures show they cleaned up like new and other than the drooping headliner in each car, they are mint and beautiful. I will be following it as I am wondering what the reserve price is, since the last bid is $145,000 plus and that does not meet the reserve price. Crazy prices.

[David]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

I'm really craving buying a sound system for my car, more specifically, some subwoofers. 

Anybody have knowledge or experience with a recent setup? I has a system in my first car but that's been gone for about 10 years. 

What I think I want but I'm afraid it won't be quite enough for how much it all costs is this: 

JL Audio dual 8" W3v3's

It's compact and I test fit one last week at an audio shop and it fits perfectly behind my back seats in the hatch area but it's only 6 inches deep as to keep most of my space available still. 

It sounded good in their test room but I'm afraid that or the like $1100 or so I'll be disappointed. They're 8's so they naturally just can't get the duper deep lows. 

Have you checked out Crutchfield? Got some good stuff and they have various boxes so you can get the box with the speaker size you want and then they help with installation.

https://www.crutchfield.com/m_500/Car-Subwoofers-Boxes.html?tp=13

Look at their subwoofer auto guide at the bottom of the web page. Great info, you might find the right combo that will get you the deep lows at a decent price.

I know the price is higher, but CarToys also sells small boxed BOSE subwoofer that gives nice lows in a compact format.

[ccap41]

24 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@ccap41 & @balthazar The after pictures show they cleaned up like new and other than the drooping headliner in each car, they are mint and beautiful. I will be following it as I am wondering what the reserve price is, since the last bid is $145,000 plus and that does not meet the reserve price. Crazy prices.

I will admit I didn't even click the link but it just seems so worthless to buy two cars like that and then never even let them be seen until 30 years later. He likely would have done better investing is money in stocks/bonds/etc than keeping those cars like he did. 

[ccap41]

19 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Have you checked out Crutchfield? Got some good stuff and they have various boxes so you can get the box with the speaker size you want and then they help with installation.

https://www.crutchfield.com/m_500/Car-Subwoofers-Boxes.html?tp=13

Look at their subwoofer auto guide at the bottom of the web page. Great info, you might find the right combo that will get you the deep lows at a decent price.

I know the price is higher, but CarToys also sells small boxed BOSE subwoofer that gives nice lows in a compact format.

Oh yeah I've been all over their site many times yet I've never actually bought anything from them. 

Probably my biggest concern is size and keeping it compact. I know I could throw a big 12" woofer in a 80lb box and there's plenty of space. I want it smallish and I want to be able to take it out with ease as well. 

I'm just in a predicament where I want small/compact, affordable, but with plenty of bumps. 

[David]

51 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I will admit I didn't even click the link but it just seems so worthless to buy two cars like that and then never even let them be seen until 30 years later. He likely would have done better investing is money in stocks/bonds/etc than keeping those cars like he did. 

Probably a person who likes auto's and has more money than common sense. I agree that I would have at least had car covers on them, but who knows the story of why the guy did that, really weird. Cool that they are getting out again to be seen.

Just now, ccap41 said:

Oh yeah I've been all over their site many times yet I've never actually bought anything from them. 

Probably my biggest concern is size and keeping it compact. I know I could throw a big 12" woofer in a 80lb box and there's plenty of space. I want it smallish and I want to be able to take it out with ease as well. 

I'm just in a predicament where I want small/compact, affordable, but with plenty of bumps. 

We'll I honestly have not bought from them but use them for info in my research. I have found the Infinity speakers and Rockford fosgate speakers seem to give plenty of base in a small package. Course Bose does that also but at a premium price.

[ccap41]

4 minutes ago, dfelt said:

We'll I honestly have not bought from them but use them for info in my research. I have found the Infinity speakers and Rockford fosgate speakers seem to give plenty of base in a small package. Course Bose does that also but at a premium price.

I've never seen or heard of Bose making aftermarket car audio systems. 

They're good for home stuff but they're not the kind of sound I want in a music-only sound system. 

[Robert Hall]

It's been almost 20 years since I've had aftermarket car stereos installed in anything...I wonder if that market is a lot smaller than it used to be, since car stereos are more integrated into the center stack and touchscreen on many models today, not like in the old days of DIN and double DIN head units... 

[David]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I've never seen or heard of Bose making aftermarket car audio systems. 

They're good for home stuff but they're not the kind of sound I want in a music-only sound system. 

I can understand but they do pump the bass for such a small package. 

Their Marine speaker set sounds really good and is reasonably priced.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-j3XD6R6Da3S/shopsearch/bose_subwoofer.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=FX8&awcr=76622220908759&awdv=c&awkw=bose subwoofer car&awmt=b&awnw=o&awat=

Have you also checked out the Bazooka Tube? I have seen them in competition auto audio and they do really get low and clean.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-dbKqVHA7GUf/shopsearch/bazooka_tube.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=BXJ&awcr=76622220861944&awdv=c&awkw=bazooka tube&awmt=e&awnw=o&awat=

2 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

It's been almost 20 years since I've had aftermarket car stereos installed in anything...I wonder if that market is a lot smaller than it used to be, since car stereos are more integrated into the center stack and touchscreen on many models today, not like in the old days of DIN and double DIN head units... 

Cartoys is a great place that I go to for checking out and comparing what I am interested in after researching online.

https://www.cartoys.com/

[ccap41]

1 minute ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

It's been almost 20 years since I've had aftermarket car stereos installed in anything...I wonder if that market is a lot smaller than it used to be, since car stereos are more integrated into the center stack and touchscreen on many models today, not like in the old days of DIN and double DIN head units... 

I think they are because of a few reasons... 1: car stereos are much better quality from the factory now 2: all of the steering wheel controls and OE sound processors can be a nightmare to sort out for an average guy and 3: because of #2 prices are a lot higher for things. for instance, because I want to keep my factory touchscreen and steering wheel controls I have to buy an adapter($100) to get the correct inputs for the amplifier.

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I can understand but they do pump the bass for such a small package. 

Their Marine speaker set sounds really good and is reasonably priced.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-j3XD6R6Da3S/shopsearch/bose_subwoofer.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=FX8&awcr=76622220908759&awdv=c&awkw=bose subwoofer car&awmt=b&awnw=o&awat=

Have you also checked out the Bazooka Tube? I have seen them in competition auto audio and they do really get low and clean.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-dbKqVHA7GUf/shopsearch/bazooka_tube.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=BXJ&awcr=76622220861944&awdv=c&awkw=bazooka tube&awmt=e&awnw=o&awat=

Cartoys is a great place that I go to for checking out and comparing what I am interested in after researching online.

https://www.cartoys.com/

I assume that is a local stereo center? 

They didn't have something I was really looking for. 

4 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I can understand but they do pump the bass for such a small package. 

Their Marine speaker set sounds really good and is reasonably priced.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-j3XD6R6Da3S/shopsearch/bose_subwoofer.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=FX8&awcr=76622220908759&awdv=c&awkw=bose subwoofer car&awmt=b&awnw=o&awat=

Have you also checked out the Bazooka Tube? I have seen them in competition auto audio and they do really get low and clean.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-dbKqVHA7GUf/shopsearch/bazooka_tube.html?XVINQ=MI2&XVVER=BXJ&awcr=76622220861944&awdv=c&awkw=bazooka tube&awmt=e&awnw=o&awat=

I haven't heard one of the Bazooka tubes in person but any time I talk about them at places that even sell them they basically say if I'm looking for a lot of bass you'll be disappointed. If you just want to add bass to compliment a system, they're very good. 

Yeah Bose makes good home(and assuming boat stuff). True audiophiles will say they're junk and lack X Y and Z and are overpriced but they do what their intended goal is very good for a simple all--in-one system. 

[David]

@ccap41 CarToys is a national retail chain, they have their headquarters here in Seattle, but my daughter used to work for them as HR Benefits so I know she traveled all over the US for them.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

@ccap41 CarToys is a national retail chain, they have their headquarters here in Seattle, but my daughter used to work for them as HR Benefits so I know she traveled all over the US for them.

interesting, I've never heard of them. 

[frogger]

Only thing I've done the last 10 years has been to change front door speakers on two cars to better quality ones for better clarity/less muddiness.

 

 

[daves87rs]

Been a while since I have added anything audio on my cars...I am due though...

 

Man, there is a bunch of snow out there today!!!

[David]

43 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

Been a while since I have added anything audio on my cars...I am due though...

 

Man, there is a bunch of snow out there today!!!

Send some to washington state please, we could use it.

[balthazar]

'68 Cadillac proposal ~

Edited February 10, 2018 by balthazar

[daves87rs]

3 hours ago, dfelt said:

Send some to washington state please, we could use it.

Boy, do I wish I could....like 19 inches plus out there now...

[ocnblu]

Two late model Elantras, noses up, waiting for heart transplants outside my office.  A 2016 CX-3 with a rear differential replacement.  Don't talk to me about domestic vehicles being unreliable.

[daves87rs]

5 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Two late model Elantras, noses up, waiting for heart transplants outside my office.  A 2016 CX-3 with a rear differential replacement.  Don't talk to me about domestic vehicles being unreliable.

Wow, that is crazy. Surprised they were not Sonotas, as I remember them having issues about 7-8 years ago...

[ocnblu]

 

[balthazar]

Pontiac sketch likely intended for '61 ~

[daves87rs]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

 

I have to say...that is pretty cool...

 

Actually started building some on ford's website.....